Tire chain tool



April 24, 1945.

N. c. ODDO TIRE CHAIN 'I'OOL 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

Filed Jan. 2, 1945 Q ww Q NLH v gnaw MC April 24, 1945 N. c. 001:5

TIRE CHAIN TOQL File'd Jan. 2 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Swan tom 'coZZ (I 000 0 atented Apr. 24, 1945 UNITED STATES TIRECHAIN TOOL Nicol! c1. odao,Middletown, N. Y. Application. January 2, 19 43, sen-amt; 471,199

' p 3 Claims. (01. 81 15) This invention relates to improvements in adevice forrepairing chains.

orwwhich maybe made portable, for opening and .cl'osing'alllsizes ofseveral types of links ofch'ains soithat the. links may be readilyremoved and-replacedwhen necessary. l a I.

.. Another-objectof the invention is the provision of a device by meansof. whichthe connecting. ele 'ment. of certainttypes of links may beeasily? and rapidly spread apart for removing the-links,- and on forsupporting a link ina plurality of different.

positions for spreading the connecting it elements or the link and forreturningrthespread elements of. a new link to their proper positions;and com (necting the new link to an adjacent link. w

A still further object of the inventin1is the provision for a; devicehaving. a plurality of. means incorporated therein for not onlyremovingiworn This invention will be best understood irom a objectiverelationavith object ofthe invention isthe provision of a device whichmay be fastened on a work bench,

' device showing the secondsstept of Fig. 6 is a fragmentary viewinperspectiveof the device showing the closing of the connecting elementsof a new link. h Fig.1? is a' tragmentaryl viewi perspective of thedevice-showing the first operation of removing aramsihornilink from a;chain... =4 :Fig; .8 is a.fragmentaryitopeplan.view of the spreading;the

connecting elements of alink i Fig.9 is a fragmentary viewiii-perspective o the device; showing the first step inthe operation ofreplacing alinkon achain i Fig. leis a fragmentaryavgievv,inarperspective of the device, showing the final step fortying. the linktoan adjacent link. g l l i .Fig. -11=is'1a* fragmentary bottom p, .thehandle and its-jaw members."

i 1218a plan-view ora p recfzjmmf x links interengaged,

Referring m re parti u arly to thefirwinss, l0 designatesa base memberupon which a link supporting blockl I issecured-. The device shown inFig. 1 is of the portable type; and-the bloclc Ill is of sufficientdimensions that it maybe placedin any position for removing,or,replacing-. links at any point desired. However, the supporting.block Il may be secured directly to a bench and thus form a stationarychain repairer;.,In; either ;case

consideration of the following detailedxdescrip tion in'view of theaccompanying drawingsiiorm- I ing a part of the specifications;neverthelessiit is l to beunderstoodlthatthe invention is not confinedto the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes. and modifications.as define nomaterial departure from the salient features of =theinvention as expressed inthe appended claims. In the drawingsit it .Figlxiswa one side viewin'elevation of a device is oppothe block is.secured by means of, bolts or screw -s izonto-the base [0 or to .aworktable, Ablock H- has an upstanding member 13,. atits inner end,.:which-is rounded atthe outer wall and-has a flat face for itsinneriwall. *..The upper end of the member lehas a depression lA 'With.thewalls curved to receive the bent elements of. a-linlr, which forms aconnector withersad.- jacent link. The type of link employed will bepresently described g,

A second supporting member. i5. is located inwardly of the member l3,and isspacedz therefrom to provide a support to theendtof thelink.Before proceeding further; it is .cleernedq advisiable to describetheoperatingzhandle whichj car ries a1 jawso. that the variouscooperating eleb 1o ck. can .be; considered This handle has} aninstigate other. in;

which may be grasped by the: hand for carrying the device from place toplace as a portable instrument, and is at a point along the handle wherethere is a proper balance between the portions of the device at oppositesides of the opening I1.

The standard I8 is mounted on the outer end of the block I I, and thisstandard may be formed separately, or it may be formed integrally withsaid base member. The standard has a cut-out portion as shown at 26 inwhich is located a nut 2|, threaded on to an axle or bolt 22, upon whichone end of the handle I6 is pivotally mounted. The upper end of thestandard is curved downwardly as shown at 23 to provide a stationary jaw24 at the free end. A bar 25 (Fig. 2) is bolted to the block II, asshown at 25, and has an opening at its upper end to receive the axle 22,with a nut. 21 cooperating with the washer 28 to maintain the axle inposition on the standard I8. The bar 25 abuts a movablejaw 29, formed onthe handle I6, adjacent to the stationary jaw 24, for a purpose whichwill be presently explained.

A presser footSil depends downwardly from the handle [6, and is adaptedto fall into the space between the members I3 and I5. One face of thispresser foot is adapted to aline with the flat face of the member I 5,when the handle I is in its lowermost position.

The member I5, as shown in Figs. 4-. and 9, is provided with a pair ofparallel grooves 3i and 32, to receive the legs 35 and 34, respectively,of a rams horn link generally designated by the numeral 36.

The handle I6 is provided with a fiat surface 31 offset from the presserfoot 36, which engages both legs of the link 36 when said legs arelocated within the grooves 3i and 312 of the member I5.

The elongated block I I is provided with an elehowever, cooperate forholding links of varying lengths when the jaw 24 operates thereon.

The operation of my device is as follows: Two types of links 36 and 55are illustrated on which various operations are performed for rea chain.

vated portion 40, which has a curved groove generally designated by thenumeral 4| as shown in Figs. 4, 9 and 10, to receive one horn ifi of thelink 36. The other horn 43 is adapted to be rehandle I6 so that when thehandle I5 is lowered and the presser foot 36 engages the free ends ofthe horns 42 and 43 for moving them downwardly and away from the body ofthe link the operator may inspect the link 36 to see that it is inproper position during this operation. The presser foot will be limitedin its downward movement when thefiat surface or jaw 31 engages thatportion of the link which is seated on the flat face of the member [5.

On the elevated portion 46 of the elongated block is provided a pair ofspaced ribs 46 and 41 to support the link 36 for a predeterminedoperation which will'be presently described.

The jaw 45 on the handle I6 is provided with a cut-out portion at itsunder face to provide a horizontal surface 46 and inclined surfaces 49.This cut-out portion is moved downwardly toward the ribs 46 and 41.

A spreading tooth 56 is secured in a pocket 51 formed in the handle Itby means of a bolt 52.

' Since the shank of the tooth fits neatly within the pocket 5I, thetooth will be held rigidly against movement. The tooth extendsdownwardly, and is tapered to the extreme pointed end 53. I The block IIis provided with a passage moving the links, and for replacing new linksin the link is formed from a single strand of wire, which is bent toform a loop having a pair of legs and 66. These legs are broughttogether as shown at 6'! and they are. then bent upon themselves to forma loop to receive a loop of an adjacent link 55*.

When it is desired to remove a link 55 said link is placed in theposition shown in Fig. 5 on the inclined top 68 of the block II, wherethe passage 54 is located, and after the lever l6has been raised. Thelink is in such a position, however, that when the lever I6 is loweredthe pointed end 53 will be forced down between the ends 63 and Ill andthe legs 65 and 660i the link 55. In view of the fact that this tooth istapered it will gradually force the ends 69 .and 10 away from theirformer locked position until they are spread sufficiently apart toremove the link 55*. The legs-of the links are then spread apart andremoved from the associated link 'II.

A new link 12 is then placed in position so that the loop portion willbe received by the The link 72 is then placed upon. the

,29 to approach the stationary jaw 24 so that the stationary jaw willforce the free ends of the link 72 downwardly until they are in contactwith the legs of the link. This completes the operation of removing andreplacing a link of the type shown at 55, in Figs. 5 and 6.

The step portions 66, 6|, 62 and 63 are provided to support links ofvarying lengths.- As

shown in Fig. 6, the link 12 is supported by the step portions 60 and6|. Longer links with legs of greater diameter may require theadditional step portion 62 or the portion 63 for supporting the samethereon in order that the stationary jaw 24 will naturally engage thefree ends 13 and 14 of the link so that the free ends may be forced intooperative connecting position.

I The link operated on in Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, is what is known asthe rams horn. In order to release a link of this type from a chain thelegs 34 and 35 are laid lengthwise along the upper face of the member I5while the portion 36 is supported by the depressed portion I4 in themember I 3. The ends of the horns 42 and 43 project upwardly below thepresser foot 30, so that when the handle I6 is moved downwardly thebottom face of the presser foot will engage the free ends of the hornsand force them'downwardly away from the legs 34 and 35. This completesthe first step in removing this type of link from the chain.

The link is then placed in position on the upper face of the member I5with the legs 34 and 35' disposed respectively within thetransversegrooves 3| and. 32 of the member I5 of the block II after the handle I 6has been raised. With In the type shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the link 36 inposition the handle is then lowered until the fiat surface 31 on thelower edge of the handle comes. in contact with the legs 34 and 35, andsuificient pressure is exerted on the handle to prevent the link fromturning. The free ends of the horns 42 and 43 are close together andbelow the plane passing through the legs 34 and 35- of the linksincesaid ends have been depressed previously by the member 30 (Fig.'7). An end of a screw driver is inserted between the end of a horn anda leg and then the handle of the screw driver isrocked so that the endof said screw will engagethe associated leg as a fulcrum, while the endof the tool will press against the horn and spread it laterally awayfrom its former position to the position showniin Fig. 8; so that theloop 36 of another link may be substituted fora link which has beenremoved. Forcing the horns out of their normal positions ina chainalsopermits the removal of a worn link. In other words,

the horns are not only moved out of their normal J'acent one end of theblock and provided. with an operating handle extending over the block, a

presser foot extending downwardly from the handle and adapted to bemoved into the space positions in a link, but-they are spread apart by asuitable tool, such as a screw driver, acting as a lever to permit theremoval of a worn link and the application of a new link as areplacement of the worn link.

When it is desired to replace the link removed the new link after havingbeen connected to the 34 and 35, and they must be forced inwardly to thelower locking position as shown in Fig. 7. In order to complete theoperation the link is laid upon the ribs 46 and 41 transversely of theblock II in the position shown in Fig. 10, so that the horizontalportion 48 will rest on the tops of the horns while the inclined sidewalls 49 will engage the side edges of the horns, forcing the hornstoward each other and bending the horns down inwardly through the loopbetween the legs 34 and 35.

It will be seen by this device that several types oif links may bereadily removed from a, chain and replaced by a few simple operations asshown in Figs. 5 to 10 inclusive.

I claim: "1. Achain repairing device for a ram's horn link chain, eachlink being formed of a single strand of wire bent to form a loop, withthe free ends of the wire inturned and disposed in one end of the loop;comprising an elongated block, having a fixed upstanding member providedwith a depression at its upper end to receive the bent between theupstanding member and the supporting member to engage the free inturnedends of the link and to force said free ends out of engagement with thelink so that the link may be removed from a chain. i

2. A chain repairing device for a rams horn link chain, each link beingformed of a single strand of wire bent to form a loop, with the free 4ends of the wire inturnel and disposed in one end of the loop,comprising an elongated block, having a fixed upstanding member providedwith a depression at its upper end to receive the bent elements of arams horn link, a fixed supportingmember for the other end of the linkand spaced from the upstanding member, a jaw pivoted ad jacent one endof the block and provided with an operating handle extending over theblock, said handle at its under face having a depending projection whichforms a presser foot and a from a 'chain while thehorizontal portion ismoved into engagement with the loop of the link to limit the downwardmovement of the presser foot.

3. A chain' repairing device for a rams horn link chain, each linkbeing'formed of a single strand of wire bent to provide a loop with thefree ends of said wire inturned and disposed within one end of the loop,comprising an elongated block having spaced upstanding members, eachupstanding member adapted to receive an 7 end of the link and supportsaid link in substantially a horizontal position across the. spacebetween said members, a handle pivoted at one end on one end of theblock and extending over the block, the underface of the handle abovethe upstanding members having a curved lateral offset, a presser footdepending from the offset and adapted tobe moved into the space betweenthe members to engage the free inturned ends of the link for forcingsaid ends out of engagement with the link, said offset having a flat,jaw located upwardly from the foot and directly opposing one of saidupstanding members for pressing on the link when the foot has forced theinturned ends away from the link.

NICOLL c. ODDO.

